Between the dark and dark
by dearheadlights
Summary: A case in the mountains, an enormous blizzard, and being stranded in a cabin with her insufferable jerk of a boss. The last of these is the most terrifying of all. (Naru x Mai. Rated T.) Updated: Part III
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The snow and winter around here brought out this inspiration and I couldn't seem to resist. I hope you forgive a clichéd premise as I attempt to make the story my own. It's a _monster_ of a one-shot so far, so it will be in two parts, rated T for some mildly adult themes. Set almost a year after Naru and Lin leave for England.

I don't own Ghost Hunt or Updike's poem. All mistakes are my own. Please leave me a review!

…

* * *

_The days are short,_  
_The sun a spark_  
_Hung thin between_  
_The dark and dark. _

-Updike, "January"

...

Mai watched absently as Naru reviewed them on the case yet again, the others in the room seemingly as disinterested as her. It was very warm in the lodge and the crackling fire was lulling her to sleep. Not to mention that Naru was explaining what they already knew—they'd been tracking this stupid spirit all day and it was day _three_.

Of nothing but trekking around in the cold.

She was tired, and wondered if anyone would notice if she just put her head on her hands right there and closed her eyes for a minute…

Ayako moaned, interrupting their boss, "We know, we know! Spirit in the mountains, set on attacking tourists, we need to exorcise it, blah, blah, blah…we've been here for days now and I'm exhausted! Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

Naru gave the miko a chilly glare and Mai straightened at the desk so he wouldn't direct his displeasure in her direction next. "As I have mentioned," the young man said sharply, tone severe, "There is a blizzard expected to hit soon, and I would rather have this finished before I get trapped with the lot of you."

Ayako and Bou-san made to respond, faces angry, but John interrupted them, smiling nervously, "So what would like us to do?" Masako looked at Naru serenely, indicating he continue.

Naru was still annoyed but said, "We're splitting up and covering the most prominent scene of attack, on the south side of the ridge. I want Hara-san and you by the lifts, Brown-san. Takigawa-san and Matsuzaki-san by the equipment shed, and Lin and I will cover the resident side." He looked at Mai and she was again glad that she'd refrained from dozing off, "Mai, you can come with us, and bring the equipment and cables."

Mai sighed but nodded, unhappy to be the pack-mule again. Everyone started gathering their things and Mai followed Lin and Naru out the warm lodge into an afternoon far colder than it was earlier that day.

She pulled her cap farther down her ears, wrapping her scarf around her mouth. It was already beginning to snow and the dimming sun was not helping her stay warm in the slightest. She re-adjusted the straps to the giant camera case and sped up to catch up with her boss and his assistant.

"Why do you think the spirit's been avoiding us so much?" she asked, shuffling by Naru as Lin was already yards ahead of them.

"I'm not sure," Naru said, and she could barely make out what he was saying, his dark layers of scarf and coat covering most of his face, his blue eyes quick as always as they scoped out the landscape around them. She didn't think anyone else could look so handsome with so little of himself showing and realized the double meaning to her thoughts.

Mai flushed, hating herself for being so predictable and Naru continued, "Hopefully, splitting up will allow it to feel like it has the advantage and help lure it out, so we can get this over with."

Mai looked at him, "I guess you really hate the snow, huh? Or…us."

Naru didn't react, though he said, "I don't care for the cold."

Mai grinned, "That's almost ironic, Naru." He shot her a look, but it didn't have its usual venom. She paused thoughtfully, "I guess you didn't care much about the weather in England then, either?"

Naru visibly stiffened and Mai realized that she wasn't supposed to bring that up. They hadn't talked about England, or his identity or…anything…since he and Lin had returned to Japan two months ago. She forced her face forward, glad for the gathering snow that was helping hide her flush. She started walking again and Naru followed behind her without another word.

And so they went on in silence for a long time.

She wasn't sure how long exactly, but her feet were close to cramping, tired from having to wade through the shin-high snow. She noted that the sun was further down and that she had stopped being able to see anything in front of her, the snow too harsh and the wind stinging her eyes.

Mai turned suddenly and immediately collided with Naru, who she hadn't realized was very close behind. She fell over, back in the snow, sputtering apologetically, "S-sorry! I didn't mean to do—"

She couldn't be sure, but she thought Naru looked exasperated, "Why did you stop?"

"Oh," she said, getting up with his help, bag somehow heavier across her chest, "I stopped being able to see Lin."

Naru started and looked beyond her, seeming to realize that his assistant was nowhere in sight. He looked around before starting off again.

"Wait!" Mai called out, but Naru didn't stop. She cursed under her breath and ran after him as fast as the heavy weight of the bag would let her. He was disappearing quickly in the snow. She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, causing him to spin around and stop.

"What, Mai?" he grit out.

She scowled, "You're going in the wrong direction."

Naru looked at her and then around them and Mai realized just how white everything was. She couldn't make out a single object or structure anywhere.

"Fuck."

Mai looked up, surprised that cool and collected Naru had just cursed. He ignored the look. "What direction do you remember Lin going?" he yelled over the wind.

The brunette bit her lip, feeling how chapped it was, "I…I don't know anymore!"

Naru let out a harsh sigh and Mai felt herself blush, "It's not my fault! It's completely white out here!"

Indeed, the wind had seemed to pick up and Mai was having a difficult time looking at Naru in front of her without her eyes stinging. She wrapped her arms around herself as another powerful gust of wind and snow blew past them. "Is…is this a blizzard?" she asked, cold inside and out.

Naru looked down at her, "Obviously."

She narrowed her eyes and was about to yell at him when he reached his hands to her shoulder. Mai froze, trying to understand what he was doing, her eyes wide as he stepped closer to her. Why was he touching…?

Naru lifted up the strap of the camera bag and brought it away from her, placing it across his own chest. Mai watched in amazement and blushed violently: he had never done anything like that for her before, seeming to actually revel in making her his work-horse on cases. This was….this was…

"Would you stop staring like an idiot?" his voice cut in, "We need to find some shelter."

Mai scowled before asking, "What about Lin?"

Naru turned and started walking, "Lin is intelligent enough. I'm sure he's figured out to find cover already. And maybe we'll find him on the way."

Mai hustled to keep up with him, the snow making it very difficult to move through, the wind working against her and everything reducing her vision. She felt something grab her wrist and found Naru's gloved hand gripping and pulling her with him. She tried to make her heart stop beating so fast by reminding herself that this was necessary in a damn _blizzard._

"Wh—what are we looking for?" she called over the howl of the storm.

Naru didn't respond and Mai glowered again. Typical, narcissistic, unresponsive jerk. She tired to make anything out in the ice but it was no use. Her heart started to beat faster: _what if they were stranded and alone? What if they froze to death out here?_

She tried to shake off the morbid thoughts, concentrating on taking big steps in the growing powder and feeling her limbs cry out in pain. Her legs were extremely tired and she was getting unbearably cold, her coat becoming next to useless the wetter it was getting.

"Naru," she said, but he didn't seem to hear her over the wind. She tried again, "Naru!"

He turned, hand squeezing her wrist. "Can we stop for a minute?" she asked, breath shaky, "I'm really tired and I can't…"

His blue eyes bore into hers and she saw him move closer, putting an arm around her shoulders as he steered her forward, "Keep moving, Mai. It's getting worse by the minute and if we don't find shelter soon..."

Mai nodded and felt her legs keep lifting, leaning into him for support. If it were any other time she would be reveling in the sensation of being so close to the man she unrequitedly loved, but the cold was too numbing to think much.

"Come on," he said, "I expect more from an idiot like you."

She grit her teeth, cheeks coloring, "What does that mean? I can't be cold?"

She couldn't see his face, but swore that he was smiling, "Just that you're too dumb to give up in a blizzard. I'm sure you'll find a much stupider way to die."

"Why you…" she yelled, glaring at him furiously before she realized what he was doing. He was…trying to distract her. He was trying to get her to keep going. The realization made her chest warm and she grinned up at him.

"You know, I'd be just as motivated if you were being nice to me!"

Naru turned to look ahead of them again, though his voice was warm, "But it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining for me."

The wind picked up and Mai saved her breath instead of retorting. She supposed that this was much nicer than she could have reasonably expected from the guy and she had to admit that he'd been much less…severe…with her since returning from England. He wasn't nearly as bossy, and he even took her home most days if she stayed late at the office—or got Lin to do it.

If nothing else, Mai had felt comfortable with him in a way that she didn't think she'd be again after her confession, after he dismissed her feelings and attributed them to being about his deceased twin. Really, Mai thought, it could be a lot worse. He could be more cold and distant—could resent her or avoid her. She should really consider herself lucky.

_That's almost sad, how little I expect from Naru_.

Mai was shaken out of her somber thoughts when the man in question stopped walking, abruptly halting her own lagging steps. "What is it?" she asked, trying to find anything around them in the violent snow.

"I think I see a building," Naru said, his breathing labored and Mai realized that he must be exhausted as well and felt bad for taking away from his strength. He pointed ahead of them and Mai squinted, able to see the faint outline of darker gray a few feet ahead of them.

"Okay, let's go," she said, revamping her energy and pulling Naru behind her this time.

A few minutes (and blind groping at the structure in front of them) later they finally found a door and Naru pushed and kicked at it to open. The thing was locked and frozen shut and Mai wrapped her arms around herself further, willing it to let them in. She looked at Naru and saw his jaw clench, seemingly fixed at a point in front of him. Instantly, she knew what he was about to do.

"No! Naru, don't!" she yelled, but it was too late and Naru had used a burst of psychic energy to force the door open. They immediately stumbled inside, Mai reaching for the young man before he kneeled on the floor. She kicked the door closed and looked around, seeing that they were in a small cabin, sparsely furnished and uninhabited.

She spotted a bed and moved to help Naru to it. He managed to stumble fairly well and sat down on the edge of it. "Here," Mai said, taking a blanket from the bed and draping it over his shoulders.

Naru didn't react other than close his eyes. After a moment he spoke, "We need to get warm. We should build a fire…"

She nodded and looked around again, seeing that there was a small fireplace and a decent about of wood. She knelt down and tried to find anything to light and eventually spotted some matches on the mantle.

A while later there was a roaring fire in front of them and Naru seemed to be well enough to sit up strait. He removed his coat and started taking off his boots. He motioned to her, "You should get out of your wet clothes and dry them so you don't get sick."

Mai did as he suggested, noting that her pants were completely soaked, as were socks. She searched through the cabin and found a small supply closet with a few linens and covers and grabbed them. Naru was already disrobing and she handed him another blanket, turning away quickly before he could see the abnormal color in her face.

She took a silent breath and made her way over to the tiny bathroom. Once she was wrapped up securely in her own blanket, she laid her clothes down to dry. She sat down in front of the fire and looked over at Naru, who looked very different wrapped in a blue checked blanket and not his usual tailored black.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, seeing that he hadn't moved much.

He gave her a nod, "As expected. We're fortunate to have stumbled here when we did."

Mai looked out the windows and saw that he was right: the storm was not lessening and it piled up outside. "Yeah," she sighed, tucking her legs underneath her, "Do you think the others are alright?"

Naru looked at her, "Since I'm not clairvoyant, I don't know. Maybe you should sleep on it."

Mai felt her face heat up in anger, unsure why he was being so snappy, "Sorry. I'm just worried about them."

Naru sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I know. I'm certain they're fine—they are all very resourceful." He paused, "There's no reception on my phone, so there's no way to get word to them."

She looked down at her knees and tried to feel better about the situation. After all, there wasn't really anything she could do to help at the moment and she did think that all of her friends were very adept at taking care of themselves.

Mai picked at the fringe of her blanket, wondering what she was supposed to do now, here with Naru. She had no illusions that there were any romantic possibilities. Ever since her confession, Naru had substantially tempered her expectations and shown her exactly what his feelings on the subject were. Still, she really didn't want to make an idiot of herself right now and wondered how she was supposed to deal with being here with him for several hours at least. She looked around for something to entertain herself with, spotting the camera bag nearby and crawling towards it.

She pulled out the equipment and began setting it up, pointing the camera towards most of the room and working the tripod. Naru's voice interrupted her, "What are you doing?"

Mai shrugged, working the buttons, "I thought maybe I could be useful. Maybe we could actually capture something on camera."

Naru was looking at her in a way that was completely foreign to her, a mixture of emotions on his face that astounded her because he was _Naru_, and he never displayed anything. He looked away and when he spoke again his voice was slightly gruff, "I don't think you'll get anything paranormal on that."

Mai tilted her head, confused at his meaning. "You're probably right."

Naru stood up abruptly and walked over to the small kitchenette at the corner of the room.

"What are you looking for?" she asked.

The young man continued to rummage through the shelves and cabinets before replying, "Survival goods. It would be good not to die of exposure _and_ dehydration."

Mai scowled at his tone but couldn't fault his thinking. She joined him, looking through the bottom cabinets, hand gripping her covering. She didn't find too much, but it was pretty useful: more matches, cleaning products, a first aid kit, a can of sardines. She brought the loot up to Naru who had collected some stuff himself: a pot, a lighter, a flashlight and some packages of old saltines.

"Well, it's something," she said cheerfully and Naru gave what she would almost call a small smile.

"Especially this," he said, holding a bottle of something Mai couldn't read.

"What is that?"

"Saki," he said, inspecting the label carefully and Mai made a face. He looked at her, "It seems that fortune really is on our side."

A little while later they were both sitting by the fire, Mai warming snow in the pot and Naru taking small sips from his bottle. She'd tried a gulp but found the taste absolutely wretched. Besides, it certainly wasn't going to help with staying hydrated, as she'd pointed out to him with no reaction.

Naru was staring at the fire intently and Mai followed suit, her chin on her knees, trying to calm her feelings for the man next to her and thinking of everything—anything—else. Ghosts, work, her friends, making rent. It was useless, however, and she kept finding her eyes come back to him, drinking in his handsome features, his skin in the warm light, the way his hair fell into far too sharp eyes.

He shifted and Mai dragged her gaze away, reaching for and feeling one of her socks by the fire and finding it still fairly wet. She brought the pot away from the fire and checked the temperature; the water was just right to drink. She took several thirsty gulps before turning to Naru. He was watching her and she flushed, holding out the water, "You should drink some."

The young man took another sip of saki, but accepted the gesture, drinking the rest of the water down. Again, Naru was looking at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes, almost as if he was considering something. After a moment he spoke, "Do you still have your dreams?"

Mai was surprised at the question, both its abrupt nature and the intent behind it. "Yes, sometimes. Usually if we're working a case—nothing about this one, though, sorry."

Naru was looking away from her and she wondered why he bothered asking questions if he had no interest in listening to the answer. There was another long silence where she thought he wouldn't speak again, but of course, Naru was predictable in his unpredictability.

"Is he still there?"

Mai's eyes widened and she realized what he meant…Gene. "Sometimes. He says he does what he can to help, but he doesn't always know what's going on," she told him honestly.

Naru was still not looking at her and Mai's head was buzzing, wondering what he was thinking. She swallowed, "Are…are you worried about him? Staying around?" He didn't respond and Mai was suddenly hit with a wall of emotions, "That he'll turn bad?" Her voice broke at the word and Naru finally shifted his eyes to hers.

"No, Mai," he said, "I don't think Gene would do that."

Tears were coming unbidden at the thought, but Mai tried not to show it, "H—how do you know?"

"I just know," Naru said simply, "He cares about us too much to let that happen."

Mai looked at him, unable to hold back her tears further and tried to smile, "Yeah, you're right."

Naru nodded but his face was tense and Mai was uncertain at why that was. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before gesturing towards the bottle on the ground. "I could use a sip," she said, laughing slightly and Naru acquiesced.

She tried to take a gulp but it was just as bad as before, and she found herself instead leaning back from the fire, trying to calm her nerves. She glanced out the window and saw nothing but darkness and wished, for the first time, that she was alone in her apartment right now so she could be sad or weird or anything without Naru looking at her or judging.

She pushed her hair away from her face, "Have you…not seen him yourself?"

"Once."

"Oh," she said. Mai had no idea what that meant and she was fairly frightened of pushing the issue, but something—maybe Gene's voice somewhere in her head—told her to try. "What did he say?"

Naru gave her a cold stare, but Mai tried to remain unfazed. He could always not reply, after all. "You have a lot of interest in him, don't you? " he said, "But I for one don't much care to discuss this further."

Mai frowned, "Of course I do. Gene has helped me—us—tremendously! He—he—"

"I already know how you feel about my brother, Mai. Like I said, I don't care to discuss this further—"

The brunette released a sharp breath, realizing what this was truly about, "Stop telling me how I feel!"

The two of them glared at each other and Mai thought the fire in front of her was far too hot, her blanket far too confining. She pulled her arms out over the top of it and tightened it across her chest before continuing, "I do care about Gene…like I care about Monk, or Yasu, or John—like my family. Like you care about him. And I thought maybe you wanted to talk about our own feelings or let me know…"

Naru let out what sounded like a sarcastic snort, though Mai would doubt he would term it something so undignified. "What is it with your obsession with feelings? Not everyone just dances around in an emotional cloud all the time, raining down sensitivity and kittens!" Naru's jaw clenched, realizing how uncontrolled he sounded, "You are frustratingly obtuse."

Mai felt her face rising in temperature and could imagine just how red she was, "And you're emotionally stunted!"

Her insult seemed to echo in the small space and Mai watched as the young man's face lost its stoniness and became blank again. Mai was instantly abashed at her words, or at least the way she said them. She stood up with the pot and made to get more snow, just to avoid looking at him, but Naru's voice stopped her.

"He told me not to waste my life in my work," he said, standing up as well and she realized that he was answering her. She stopped what she was going and shook her head.

"Don't, Naru. That was an extremely personal question and I shouldn't have—"

Naru rolled his eyes, "Don't ask me something you don't want the answer to, Mai. It's rude." He picked up his shirt and started putting it on, continuing, "And to address your other remark, yes, I am prone to stoicism. Usually, however, this has not been a determent for me."

Mai watched as he finished dressing and leaned against the mantle, back to his collected self. "However, I am willing to revisit my more problematic traits, as Gene has advised, in order to perhaps "live a little", as he so wisely put it." The young woman smiled, imagining Gene saying exactly that…though Naru executing it was next to impossible to comprehend.

"Now," he said, "If we could concern ourselves with the issue of eating instead of this, I would be ecstatic."

Mai blushed and nodded, going about trying to do just that. "There's sardines and crackers and I always kept some candy in the camera bag, let me check…"

Her boss looked incredulous, "You keep sweets with my equipment?"

She nodded, ignoring his pointed tone, "Yeah, sugar helps me stay awake."

"Doubt it," he said darkly, "But that's not what I have an issue with."

"Ah!" she said, holding out two bags triumphantly, "I knew I'd stocked up! Looks like we'll have a feast, Naru!"

Her boss just glared.

Some time later, after they'd had some stale and odd nourishment, Mai was dressed back in her dry clothes, looking around the cabin.

"How for do you think we are from the lodge?"

Naru didn't look at her, fixed at his position by the window watching the blizzard continue. "Not sure exactly, though we are in the resident side of the south side. Without the storm it might be a 30 minute hike."

"Hmm," Mai murmured sitting down on the bed and drawing her knees up, "How long before they find us?"

Naru turned towards her, "Likely as soon as the show lets up—probably in the daylight. It's far too dangerous tonight."

The young woman nodded but didn't say thing else. She wondered what time it was, but didn't want to ask Naru. Really, she just wanted to avoid her love-sick feelings and being here with him had emboldened her far too much already. At any moment she felt like she was about to spill something personal or act on the emotions he'd dismissed almost a year ago.

Naru walked over to the bed and Mai tried not to react when he sat down, back against the headboard, across from her. She willed herself to appear unaffected by his proximity and continued to look at her sock-covered feet. If Gene were here he would tell her to get off her butt and not be afraid of his idiot of a brother—that she shouldn't be so scared to be herself. Mai smiled slightly imagining Gene's voice, so much like Naru's own, saying, "Mai, you're braver than this! He's only a boy."

"Mai." Her musings were interrupted by a much more real voice across from her and she tried not blush, unsure why even hearing her name from him made her have such a strong reaction.

"Mmhmm?"

Naru's face was stoic, but she thought she could see a tiny smirk at the corner of his mouth. "Do you want to hear a ghost story?" he asked.

The brunette couldn't stop the grin that came over her face, her eyes wide. "Y—yes!"

And so the telling began.

Naru told her several, one based on one of his earliest cases, about a little boy who was lost and haunted his walk from school, unable to get home because he'd fallen and broken his neck. Mai's heart reached out and she realized that these accounts were so much different that when she'd told ghost stories with her friends. Because these were real—they were not something she could will away—these were people and spirits just like she'd worked with before and that made them very heart-wrenchingly real to her.

"…but he was able to gain peace after that. He hadn't even realized he'd been dead for thirty years," Naru said, his normally cold tone soft. He seemed to notice that her demeanor had changed and waited for her to speak.

Mai bit her lip softly, her eyes stinging, "He must have been so lonely. Do you think…" She trailed off and looked down, "Do you think they find something after they move on? Is there something after that?"

Naru watched her intently, "Are you asking about the afterlife?"

The girl considered for a moment before nodding, "I guess. Do you believe in it?"

He didn't reply for a long time, though he looked at her all the while, "There are a lot of theories, and I would be remiss to dismiss anything without proof." He paused, "I suppose I do think there is something. Reprieve. If nothing else, it is the end of pain and sadness after a difficult struggle. That in itself is a reward."

Mai stared at him, her heart responding at those words, "That…that's an encouraging thought." She wrapped her arms around herself, "I've never had proof, but I bet my parents are happy, wherever they are."

An unidentifiable look flashed across Naru's face but he merely turned his head and nodded, "Oddly mature of you."

Mai smiled and took the comment for the nice gesture it was, thinking that maybe ghost stories didn't have to sting after all—not if they could help the spirits find their way from their torment. And while some things would always be painful, there was also always hope that one could find peace.

It made her wonder about Gene and why he was still sticking around. He'd never disclosed to Mai the reasons and she'd supposed he still had unfinished business somewhere. But…she also knew he needed to let go, as much as she appreciated his help. Even though Naru wouldn't say it, Mai knew that it must be difficult to know that his twin was still hanging around, restless. Looking at Naru now with that far-away look in his eyes, Mai knew that he was thinking of Gene as well.

Without speaking, Mai shifted over on the bed until she was also sitting against the headboard. She jostled him with her elbow until he looked at her and she tried to give him a small smile, "We'll put him to rest, Naru. You shouldn't be haunted like this. He wants you to be happy, I know it."

She'd meant the moment to be supportive and encouraging, but she instantly realized that her proximity and feelings gave it a lot more weight that she'd intended. Without her permission, her cheeks flushed and she knew what Naru must be seeing as well: her affection for him written plain as day on her face. Naru, for his part, had that inscrutable look in his eyes again, and a long silence stretching between them.

Mai tried to laugh—anything to lighten the mood—but the breath got caught in her throat for, in that that moment, something very piercing was in those blue eyes of his and her body was a traitor, betraying everything with a blush.

"I don't know how you do that," he said quietly.

She was confused, moving her gaze from his eyes to mouth, they way he was shaping the words.

"Show every thought," he continued.

Mai wanted to crawl under the covers or run into the blizzard, anything to avoid this infuriating, perceptive, jerk of a man and she began shuffling away, "Yeah, sorry. I need to go to the bathr—"

But suddenly Naru's hand was on her own on the blanket, the other around her shoulders as he brought her to his chest, hugging her stiffly and awkwardly. Mai let out a squeak of surprise, pressed against him as he said, "I appreciate the trait, Mai. It's rare that people care as you do."

Mai tried to still her heart, nodding against his chest and feeling absolutely stunned at his rare and sentimental side. If anyone had told her that Naru was capable of this she would have thought them possessed. But here he was, giving her a hug and complimenting what she'd always assumed was a stupid trait of hers.

Mai blinked back her tears and clung to him harder, suddenly glad for the blizzard and hoping that didn't make her a bad person. She finally felt like…she mattered to him.

And maybe that was enough.

Maybe she could be fine with not being loved like..._that_ if she could feel significant to him.

Naru pulled back and Mai sighed silently. He stood from the bed and walked to the fireplace, bending to re-stoke the flame. When he turned to her again he was the same unexpressive Naru he always was, though his next words sent her mind reeling.

"I've tempered the flames so we can go to bed. We should get some rest."

Her stomach plummeted. _No, no. This most certainly wasn't enough._

…

* * *

Part I of two or so. Please review and let me know what you think. Your support is everything to me!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I own nothing but the inconsistencies, odd characterizations, and bad premise...yet here you are! Please review!

...

* * *

Part II

She had been in the bathroom for an extraordinary amount of time and Naru was considering going in after her and making sure she hadn't gotten herself possessed or lost in the plumbing.

He knew she couldn't be spending time in front of the mirror because there was no electricity and it was pitch black in the cabin, save for the light of the fire. If he considered it, maybe she really _did_ get lost. After all, the girl was a misfortune magnet, prone to attacks, falls, and any number of mishaps. Still, he realized that barging into a bathroom was not really in the realm of necessity right now and Naru almost smirked, thinking how she would react to such an intrusion. It was almost welcome just to stop this awkward conversation.

He leaned back against the bed, checking his phone again for any service and finding none, trying to distract himself from the absurd mental acrobatics he'd been indulging in all night. Suffice it to say that this was unknown territory for him, though he knew better than to expect normalcy in his job—or around Mai.

Still, trapped in a cold cabin in the middle of a blizzard with a girl, expected to be confessional and amiable, was probably something out of his early nightmares. Noll Davis was decidedly not someone who indulged in the social or intimate and would have found thousands of other things that would have appealed to him more. Academic and intellectual engagements, research and thinking, investigating and hypothesizing, _lectures_—these were Naru's interests, his forays into a pleasurable experience and existence.

Still, he had to admit that tonight was shaping up to not be as unbearable as he'd originally feared, and he had to again admire Mai's uncanny ability to extract his more sociable side, despite his best intentions. Really, the girl was a nuisance in that way: worming, caring, sapping herself into his head and Naru didn't like it one bit.

Correction: Naru didn't like that he liked it, one bit.

The rub of it, as Gene would say, was that there was a strange modicum of relief that he gained around Mai. An amount of warmth that enveloped him and made him forget, even if for brief moments, all the _much_ more important things about life. Reputations, research, work, and business all flickered away in the light of watching her tell an animated story, or flush prettily in annoyance. He didn't understand how or why and it made him feel out of his depth, something he was not accustomed to.

_Because you love her_, Gene's voice sang in his head and Naru scowled and pushed it back.

_No, because I'm not as cold and calculating as everyone supposes_, he retorted.

_I never believed you were, brother. _

Naru's scowl increased. _Don't confuse your own feelings about Mai for mine, Gene_.

There was no response and Naru smirked, glad to have won the argument. Until he realized he'd been talking to himself.

Damn it.

Gene's voice drifted in again, _I've warned you before. You can't keep this up forever. Stop ignoring your feelings you idiot._

"You sound like Mai," Naru grumbled bitterly.

"Sorry?"

The young man's head snapped up and he saw that Mai had come out of the restroom and was standing near the bed, her back to the fire, giving him a confused stare. "Nothing," Naru sighed, promising himself pay Gene back for all of this trouble in the afterlife. In spades.

Mai didn't look convinced but shrugged and turned away from him.

Naru closed his eyes and laid down on the bed fully, "I pulled all of the blankets on here so we should be perfectly fine for the night."

Mai nodded, her back still to him, and Naru again almost smirked, knowing she was undoubtedly embarrassed about the prospect of sharing a bed with him. He, a far more mature and logical individual, was not flustered of this concept and, and was free to enjoy the discomfort it was causing Mai.

He watched as Mai's fingers grabbed either side of her sweater and began to lift the garment, his earlier smugness suddenly forgotten. A lead weight seemed to have landed in his gut.

Back still turned, Mai was unable to see the splay of emotions in his face as her sweater caught her long-sleeve undershirt and pulled it slightly upward, exposing pale and smooth skin before she was done, flinging the sweater off.

Naru slammed his eyes shut and turned his face to the ceiling, irritated that he was so easily distracted by something so simple and _tame_. It's not like she had flashed him. That mental image made him feel that pang again and he could swear he heard Gene snickering in his head and he was close to just punching his skull and knocking some sense into it before he remembered that he was Oliver Davis and not some immature teenager.

_Wrong_, that infuriating voice sang again and Naru scowled.

"Are you okay, Naru?" Mai asked. She was beside him now, legs underneath the covers and she was looking at his face in concern. "You seem flushed," she said, touching his forehead with a cool palm.

Naru grabbed her wrist and pushed it away as quickly as he could. "Fine," he snapped and Mai stiffened slightly before nodding.

She laid down as well, turning away from him. "Goodnight, Naru."

"Goodnight," he replied coolly.

In the quiet dark, alone with his thoughts, Naru listened to the howling of the wind outside and the steady, quick beat of his own heart in his ears. He remembered the last time he'd observed his emotions this intently: his brother's death. He'd laid in the dark then too, listening to his body and experiencing the way it was responding to his thoughts—the broad sweep of grief and regret and loneliness as it threaded itself around parts of his insides he knew the clinical names to, as if that told him anything. His mind was no help.

Not sure why he was doing it, or what he hoped to accomplish, Naru said, "I lied about having only talked to Gene once."

The words hung out in the dark and everything was still for a long moment before he felt the figure next to him stir and move. He kept his eyes on the ceiling, "He's in my head."

"In your head?" Mai said softly, her voice close, and he realized that she was facing the ceiling now as well.

"That's what that means, yes," he said. He could almost see her frown out of his periphery and was annoyed at himself for snapping, "He talks to me."

He heard Mai suck in a breath, "You—you mean he's with you? Like now?"

Naru nodded and said, "Yes."

Mai sat up and turned to him, her face a mask of worry that he could dimly see in the dark, "That's…that has to be difficult."

The young man shrugged, "It's good to hear his voice."

The brunette's eyes were soft and transfixing. She bit her lip and looked away and he had the sudden urge to get her attention.

"He does love you," he said and Mai's eyes rounded on him again.

Instead of blushing, however, as he'd expected, she simply nodded, "I know."

Years of practice had trained Naru at not being expressive, but he was sure his face betrayed his shock. Mai must have seen it too and she smiled slightly, "Gene is pretty open."

Naru had not known that she knew—had not known that even Gene, the person he thought he knew better than anyone, would confess like that. Maybe being a spirit had really changed him after all.

He sat up, "Maybe the knowledge that you love him will finally allow him to move on."

Mai was looking at him, frowning, "I'm not sure I understand. I don't…_love_ Gene like that. I thought I made that clear…"

Naru snapped his head to her, something very heavy clenching in his stomach.

After a silence she continued, exasperated, "Gene and I care about each other but we don't…at least I don't." Her eyes were on her hands, clenched in her lap, "Naru, I told you the truth a year ago."

His body was responding to something his brain had not clearly articulated, because he was finding it very hard to work through what she was saying, much to his chagrin. If he was in a clearer state of mind, he would have tried to study himself—understand his unusual reactions and find a cause.

Naru took a steadying breath and looked at Mai in front of him, all bright eyes and open expression. Soon, he leaning towards her, the slight glow from the fire lighting his way.

"Wh—what are you doing?" she whispered, interrupting his advance.

Naru couldn't help but roll his eyes, "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm about to kiss you."

Mai sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes widening further, "W-why?"

Naru clenched his jaw, trying not to show his annoyance, "What do you mean, 'why'? Aren't you supposed to be the arbiter of all this emotion garbage? I'm sure you've already thought of some grand romantic explanation to go along with my actions so far."

He watched her mouth drop open in indignation. While he was amused at the expression, he probably should have figured that his comment would rile her up. She was, after all, very easy to fluster.

"'Grand romantic explanation'?!"

"Yes," he said factually, annoyed at having to elaborate, "You are wont to give meaning to simple acts and events in order to move through and understand the world. I suspect you've created some insipid image of me that is brooding and handsome and can be won through love or tears or something of the sort, that you've probably gotten from copious novels. I'm not really familiar with the mythology of the teenaged girl."

The scientist wondered if, perhaps, he'd gone a little too far, as the venomous look in her eyes was not coupled with the usual flush, but rather a stiff, white face.

He also suspected that she would be a lot less likely to let him kiss her if he insulted her very way of being. Opening his mouth to say something to balm her anger, he was interrupted by the girl in question's low voice.

"That is _enough_." Naru's mouth tightened: he was not one who liked to be intimidated, but he realized that Mai was not doing this to banter, or argue. She was drawing a line.

"You are welcome to insult a lot of things," she said, "And, in fact, you have. But you do _not_ tell me what I feel or imagine, even if you are the subject!"

Naru didn't respond, taking in her ire and considering. He realized that if their situations were reversed, and she'd acted as he had, he would never have forgiven her for her insinuations. The thought was bitter, as empathy tends to be, and Naru was uncomfortable. It seemed, in this light, that he really hadn't extended Mai even that common courtesy of respect.

"I'm sorry," he said and some of the fire went out of her eyes before she shook her head.

"Don't, it's not in you_ nature_," she grit out.

He sighed, "Mai, that was cruel and unjustified for me to say. I am sorry."

Her anger seemed to completely disappear and Naru wondered why he'd never apologized to her before—this was a lot easier, and less unpleasant, than he imagined.

Mai nodded and Naru could see the tell-tale blush in her cheeks again as she avoided his gaze. His eyes had adjusted to the limited light but even so he couldn't quite make out the expression in her face. Naru would have thought that impossible until today: usually the girl was so simple to comprehend and here he was again, in unknown territory. It did not bode well for him.

Still avoiding his eyes, she lay down again and closed her eyes and Naru could not fault her. This was an utter debacle of tangled conversation and misunderstandings and it was best to keep silent and forget. To sleep and wake up and find the others, and solve this haunting, and go back to real life and predictable schedules and interactions. Naru laid down as well and closed his eyes.

But then Mai sighed, like a prelude, and he could almost hear the strain of her breathing. "Do…do you want to hear a ghost story?"

Naru didn't speak and she seemed to take his silence as permission.

"I used to think…I once believed I was haunted by the spirits of my parents."

The silence after this stretched itself in the dark. He heard her swallow, "I'd always believed in ghosts. And after they died…I felt like they were there, and I would sometimes think my mother was brushing my hair at night. Or smell my dad's cologne when I walked into the bathroom."

Pause.

"I kept losing things and I had convinced myself that they were moving around in there, trying to tell me something." Her breath was harsher, "A—and I talked to them, played music for them, left windows open so they could leave whenever they wanted…I was stupid, I know."

She laughed, strained, "I didn't know anything about spirits then and that it doesn't work like that. Eventually I realized that they weren't there and that I was…making up a story for myself. I wanted them around so badly—"

Pause.

"They hadn't stayed behind and, I know I shouldn't wish that—especially now—but it took me a long time to be okay with that—that I wasn't unfinished business for them."

Her voice was chocked, "The ghost story had a perfectly reasonable explanation: a silly girl wanted to believe in a fantasy."

She took a breath, "And so I thought that I had learned my lesson then…until you."

She stopped talking and they were both still except for their breathing—uneven and hitched in the now barely flickering light of the fireplace.

The sensations that had been building in his chest, constricting his air, took hold with renewed vigor and Naru felt as if there was a spirit or a force or something pressing around them in the small room, sucking the oxygen away. Facts and figures were running across his head—information that was attaching and placing itself in congruent alignment, shaping out a pattern of things. Strange details that made sense about his interactions with Mai: her shrewdness and skepticism, her loyalty and kindness, why she accepted this job, why she felt what she did…for him. Her hurt at his accusations about her off-base imagination.

He was a shadow over her before she could fully look at him, turning on her back, and he decided he needed more evidence from himself because these feelings cursing through his body were starting to make sense…and he needed proof. Naru looked quizzically at her large amber eyes, staring at him with something like shock and wonder, the way the edge of her teeth was visible in her parted mouth. A staggering breath escaped her.

Naru moved.

He kept his eyes open as he leaned down, his nose scraping against hers as he aligned their mouths and pressed. Her own eyes had shut and he watched from too close to see, the way her brows twitched at his touch, cheeks trembled. She felt far too soft to be real and Naru moved his lips over hers, testing if maybe he would just pass through her.

The feeling was strange and not altogether unpleasant, though Naru wasn't sure he was supposed to be experiencing anything more. He pulled back slightly and felt her breath fan against his skin and it was the first tingling sensation he'd felt so far. He frowned and studied her face (which was astoundingly red) and her eyes opened again under his scrutiny.

"Naru," she said softly and his attention was back on her mouth, deciding that maybe he hadn't been thorough with it the first time, because people put a lot of stock in kissing and right now he just wanted something to ease this pain in his chest. He bent his head again and, this time, Mai met him, her lips wet. Her breath pressed into him and Naru saw static or something like it, and he realized that he'd closed his eyes and this was much preferable. He pushed closer and that feeling in his chest was suddenly lighter because Mai was moving and her hands were on his shoulders and then, slowly, on his neck and Naru's mouth was working of its own accord, some instinct driving the car, and he was satisfied with how it was making Mai respond by releasing sighs through mouth and throat.

Experimentally, he let himself move his tongue and suddenly the world was an explosion of sound and light because _goddamnit_ that was better and Mai seemed to agree because her voice was sending vibrations through their connected skin, her fingers light on his scalp, and he was pulling her closer.

Somehow they were both sitting up again, chest to chest, holding on and kissing and Naru realized that he'd gotten his proof, there was really nothing more he needed and it was really time to desist. And yet, when Mai pulled away for a breath he followed her, arms pulling her back against him, unable or unwilling to stop just yet, not when this was far preferable to intimate confessions or strained apologies. This was as good as banter—as fun as teasing her—and who knew that he'd be so decent at it?

Mai pulled back again and quickly turned her head when he tried to kiss her again, her face red, "Naru…I…"

But Naru wouldn't be dissuaded, not when he finally figured out what all this fuss was about. He attached himself again and Mai didn't even struggle, back to touching him, and the way her hands stroked down his chest made him take in a breath and move from her mouth to her cheek to her throat and back again. She moaned and moved even closer until she was almost sitting his lap. Naru had the sudden urge to bite her lip at the sound and didn't question it, the action causing more moans for his effort.

His fingers splayed against the small of her back and, through their movement and motion, her shirt rode up far enough for his cool fingers to feel heated skin. Mai gasped and stilled, pulling away from him in earnest.

"Sorry, Naru…I just…"

He watched her and waited but soon realized that she had nothing further to say. She wouldn't look at him and Naru supposed he ought to say something in order to take reigns of the situation.

"That was pleasant," he said, in his usual tone, and Mai's face turned to him, smiling slightly.

"Yeah?"

Naru just stared and Mai was back to coloring like a tomato. "I liked it too," she said quietly.

He couldn't help but smirk, "I suspected as much."

Mai scowled and looked down at her hands, lip between her teeth, "Do…does it mean something?"

Naru raised an eyebrow, "You mean, do I go around randomly snogging unsuspecting girls?" Her face was angry again and Naru thought it was just too easy.

"Certainly it means something," he said calmly, "Though I'm undecided as to what."

Mai was avoiding his eyes, and it annoyed him. "Can I ask why? You kissed me, I mean?"

Naru was irritated—not at her, but at himself. He really…didn't know why. Just that it seemed…

The young man sighed, "That is a complicated question."

Mai's head was tilted and her face had gone blank, "Do you like me?"

Naru felt something shift in his chest and he was sure that he would be bruised from all of these pangs in the morning, "Don't be coy, Mai. It doesn't suit you." At her annoyed flash of anger he paused before relenting, "Though, I suppose, that's a feasible hypothesis."

The brunette sighed but nodded, flopping back down on the bed, "You are an enigma, Noll Davis."

Naru frowned at the name, concentrating on that look on her face, which he could no longer read, and that skin of her throat-soft enough to call him back.

...

* * *

A/N: Part III is coming...as long as we're in agreement that there should be more. With that bribe...please review? :)


	3. Chapter 3

Part III

Either the darkness alters -

Or something in the sight

Adjusts itself to midnight -

And life steps almost straight.

-Dickinson, "We grow accustomed to the Dark"

* * *

...

Nothing in her life had ever prepared her for this.

In fact, until SPR, Mai had lived an existence relatively devoid of any of the adventure or danger that seemed to come from working with the supernatural. The constant exposure to this instability and excitement in her time with Naru and the others had been more than she'd ever imagined for herself—it was a life entirely too exciting for someone as ordinary as her. Or at least that's what she once believed.

She'd come around to the idea of her own powers and she'd certainly found extraordinary value in both the work she did and the people she'd befriended. Her family, really. And Naru.

He…he meant so much to her it frightened Mai. To be so vulnerable in her feelings meant putting a lot of trust into her cold boss…which she did, instinctively. The fact that she had no proof that she should, well, that was something Mai struggled with constantly, torn between her better reason and pride and that damn pull he had on her.

Her heart always did seem to make up her mind for her.

And now…this development was the most frightening of all.

The idea of Naru's touch, of opening herself further to the scrutiny of his intelligence and observation not just psychologically, but also physically, had hit every nerve-ending Mai possessed. The sensation was overwhelming and when they'd shared that last kiss before she reluctantly made him stop, she could still see Naru's eyes—something in them that she had not yet witnessed or maybe that he hadn't yet shown her.

Somehow, despite the absolutely dizzying circumstances, she must have fallen asleep, because she was currently in that orbed, shining dreamscape she'd grown so familiar with. And there was Gene, waiting.

His grin was entirely too wide and smug for her liking.

"Sooo…."

Mai rolled her eyes, bidding the pink off her cheeks, which seemed to follow her even into the dreams, "Don't." Her tone was firm, but his eyes didn't loose their knowing gleam.

"Mai…"

"Gene," she said dangerously, "I hope I'm not here because you just had to be all know-it-all about how I would wind up kissing your brother before the year was up."

"What can I say?" Gene said smugly, looking far too much like Naru and making Mai blush in irritation, "I have been known to give some predictions."

"Well," Mai sighed, "I wish you'd help predict this case, because I'm afraid to be trapped here with Naru any longer."

Mai swore that Gene's eyebrows moved suggestively, but he was still Naru's twin, and it didn't seem quite possible. "Please," she said, her voice soft, "I need some semblance of normalcy to return."

The dark-haired man's head was tilted, his face inscrutable, before he finally replied, "It's lost."

"Huh, what is?" Mai asked dumbly, forgetting the path of conversation for a minute.

"The spirit," he said, "It's lost on the mountain…it's haunting the last path it made."

"Oh," Mai said, frowning, "That would explain why it's not haunting any spot in particular. How are we supposed to track it down then?"

Gene wasn't looking at her, staring into the distance, "You wait; it wants to be found. It won't be long now." He turned to her again and the soft smile on his face startled Mai with its earnestness.

"Thank you, Mai," he said, "It won't be long now." Mai had a feeling that he wasn't talking about the ghost, but before she could question him, Gene's eyes closed.

Mai was confused until she suddenly felt the scene around her wavering and blurring and knew it was almost time to wake up. She gave Gene a last look, hearing him say after her: "There's nothing to fear, Mai."

She awoke into the cold and dark.

The fire was very low and Mai watched it shudder and go out, a thin wisp of smoke making its way through the darkness. She looked at the figure beside her and saw Naru asleep, his dark hair across his eyes, chest slowly rising and falling. She glanced around the room, trying to place the odd feeling she had, and moved to get out of bed.

The instant her feet hit the icy floor the soft knocking began, freezing Mai's heart in her throat.

Thud, thud, thud.

She stilled next to the bed, afraid to move, before the knocking started again. She could hear Naru moving and looked to find her boss sitting up, eyes fierce and staring at the door.

"Naru…"

The young man shook his head once and stood up calmly. Mai couldn't stop her own feet from moving towards the door, which she reached and opened before she knew what she was going, Gene's words echoing in her head. _There's nothing to fear._ She felt Naru's hand on her arm as she swung the heavy wood open.

A blast of utterly bitter cold hit her, chilling Mai to the bone. Against the freezing she forced her eyes open and saw only the glow of white outside before she realized that this light was more than the fading snow: it was moving and shimmering with intent.

"It's you," she breathed and felt Naru at her side.

She couldn't look away as the light began taking shape, solidifying before them, reflecting blue-ish in the white night. Soon, she was looking at the transparent image of a young boy, impossibly pale and large-eyed in the snowy landscape in front of them.

"Mai," Naru said lowly, "Step aside."

The young woman shook her head and smiled at the figure in front of them. She put trust into Gene. "You're lost, aren't you?" she said kindly.

The boy's eyes watered and he nodded, his voice faint and breaking, "I can't get home."

Mai smiled with sympathy, "What's your name?"

"Ken," he said, "Kaowoto, Ken."

"Ken," Naru broke in, stepping slightly in front of Mai, making her frown, "Do you know that you're a spirit?"

The boy's eyes widened as he stared at them, "Spirit?"

Mai nodded, "Yes, Ken-san. You've been frightening people on this mountain for months."

Ken scowled and flickered under the white sky, "I didn't do anything! They just kept running away so I had to try to make them listen, but they just wouldn't. I…" he looked away, "…I got angry."

"Well we're listening," Mai said, "And we want to help you find your way."

Ken's ghostly face lit up, "Really?"

She smiled and looked at Naru who was expressionless beside her. She turned back to Ken, resigned to not have help, "Of course. Now tell me more about why you're here, Ken-san."

Ken had been lost on the mountain since last winter, far from his home village. He'd come to stargaze after a bitter fight with his mother and went much farther than he'd intended, getting lost in the forest and trying to make it farther up the mountain to see his way back. He didn't find it before he grew too tired, the cold sinking into his bones after hours of snow and exposure.

"I need to get to my mother," he said and Mai felt her heart reach out to him. "I have to apologize for the things I said to her…I didn't know it would be the last…I didn't mean them."

A tear escaped the brunette and she smiled softly, "I'm sure she knows that, Ken-san. You have to forgive yourself—your mother does because she loves you. You have to find peace and stop wandering in guilt."

Ken looked at them for a long time and Mai noticed that Naru was unusually silent during the exchange. After a long pause, the spirit boy nodded, reaching out a hand to Mai.

"You look like her, you know. You called to me."

Mai smiled and Ken continued, looking both at her and through her, "I'm sorry mom, I never wanted to leave like that." He gave a small smile, the whiteness of his skin seeming to solidify once more, "Thank you."

If she'd breathed she would have missed it: a fading light reached the sky and the spirit in front of them was gone, leaving the cold to burn the tears on Mai's cheeks. She wondered if it would ever get easier to meet these souls, to hear their pain. In a way she hoped not, because the satisfaction and relief afterwards felt important and bittersweet, in its own strange way.

Mai heard rustling behind her before she felt something heavy and warm drop over her shoulders. She looked and found that Naru had covered her with a blanket and moved to close the door, suddenly leaving them in the tremendous dark of the fire-less cabin. She watched him avoid her gaze as he moved back to the fireplace, rebuilding the flame that had gone out. She moved to sit on the side of the bed, facing his kneeling form. It was silent before one of them spoke and, surprisingly, it was Naru.

"This has been a strange encounter."

Mai paused and considered his words, trying to parse out what exactly he was referring to. "I do prefer the benign ghost chases," she said and watched the fire grow in front of her.

"You're suited to this," his back was still turned, but Mai could hear something strange in his tone.

She found herself grow pink, "T-thank you."

He stood and looked at her, his face impassive and Mai wondered how he could be so open and passionately kissing her and then so distant all in the span of a few hours. She had no way of knowing where his mind would go, and it was as exhilarating as it was frustrating.

Mai met his eyes, pushing her quick-beating heart down, "You're acting different." She didn't elaborate; she didn't have to. Naru stayed still but a slight motion drew Mai's eyes down to his hands, which were clenching and unclenching at his sides.

Naru let out a tired sigh, closing his eyes, "It's late, Mai."

She bit her lip, knowing a dismissal when she heard it. But something was telling her not to let up. Maybe it was because she sensed that he was keeping something bottled up, or maybe because if he didn't let her in _now_, when she'd been so close to him, he _never _would.

Mai took in a shuddering breath, reaching a hand out to his own clenched one, surprised by the chill of his skin. Naru didn't move closer, but he didn't move away either, and Mai clasped his fingers between her palms, warming them. The silence of the space pressed on them and Mai was afraid he could hear the wild beating of her heart as she drew his hand to her face, placing her mouth softly against his knuckles. She felt a strange sense of calm, despite the heat in her cheeks.

"I don't need to be saved."

Mai's eyes flashed to Naru's face at the words and she saw that his jaw was clenched. She felt suddenly and completely out of her depth.

"I'm not a ghost," he said, his voice rough and not like the usual, practiced cold he used, "Or spirit, or…or anyone you bestow your infuriatingly insistent _goodwill_ towards." The words were spat but Mai could not be angry with them. Nor, for the first time, was she afraid of what he would say to her. _There is nothing to fear._

She didn't release his hand, watching him carefully, "That's true."

Naru's mouth tensed further and she saw him expel air from his nose, "Your kindness, it's….you…are wasted on me."

Mai could only keep her gaze steady, her breathing slow, "Probably. But it doesn't matter."

Naru let out a frustrated sigh and she wondered when the tables had turned like this: him un-composed and her calm, emotionless. "Why?" His voice was odd, almost pleading and Mai felt her heart reach out, like it was want to do with anything in pain.

She shrugged, but her face flushed anyway, "Because people aren't reactions and experiments, Naru. Because we do, and are, and exist without reason and despite our best intentions." She bit her lip again, looking away, "Because _I_ need you, and want to help, and can't…not."

It was possibly the stupidest way to put it, but Mai felt like it was close to the heart of it. She was in the dark about what he thought or felt, but it didn't change her own feelings. She would always reach out for him, even if he never reached back. Mai didn't have much faith that it would change, yet she was a soul that gave and she could not do otherwise, despite his resistance, or distance, or coldness.

Her hands had stopped holding his and she trembled suddenly, cold in the silence as the sky outside the windows was slowly growing towards dawn. Mai had never felt so exposed, so raw from _everything_ that had happened, as she was right now, and she shifted to lay back on the bed with the blankets. She wanted to sleep, and she needed this day to be over and, most of all, she needed her space so she could just close her eyes and cry over this strange, unpredictable, and emotional closed off love of hers.

Before she could move again, however, Naru had knelt down in front of her seated position, his hands softly on her own. She sucked in a breath when his blue orbs met her own, holding feeling she had glimpsed right after their kiss earlier.

"I am unfamiliar with the procedure," Naru said quietly and Mai had to lean forward to hear him, "I have never been compelled to try before." She looked at him in confusion before he continued, "While I hardly consider you an equal in most respects, I admit that you posses something I am drawn to—something dear."

She felt annoyed, overwhelmed, flattered, and ashamed all at once and her expression must have shown it because he gripped her hands tighter, "You are impossible to ignore, Mai, and I don't want to anymore."

The young woman heard nothing but their breathing for a long minute, "You…are you saying…?"

Naru breathed, impatient but containing it, "Yes, clearly." Another silence, "Mai?"

She swallowed, "Um. I…"

The dark-haired man stood suddenly, touching her shoulders and bringing his face close, "If this is an attempt to get some grand romantic gesture out of me, it will be ineffective."

Mai fumed, forgetting her breathlessness for a second, "You are such an arrogant as—"

It was no surprise they were kissing because it seemed to always happen when she let her guard down. Naru's hands were in her hair, gripping the sides of her head as he bent down to her mouth. She pushed him away a few moments later, however, eyes still narrowed, "You have _got_ to learn to be nicer. You can't just—"

"No," he said, smugly, "I see no reason to change my disposition."

She lifted her chin, "I will not be insulted and kissed in the same breath."

Naru eyed her, considering, "Different breaths, then." He was moving his face closer again.

Mai tried to frown, but found the corner of her mouth lifting, "Sometimes."

Naru looked pleased and leaned back in before she stopped him with a finger to his mouth. She felt suddenly shy as she looked at him, "Are you…serious about this?"

He smiled slightly and Mai was dazed by it. "Yes."

"_Why_?" She wasn't being coy…she was honestly perplexed by his words and actions and everything that was happening.

The smile disappeared but he answered nonetheless, "You go beyond what I know, Mai, and it interests me."

Mai frowned, "You make me sound like a science experiment."

Naru was smiling again, "Astute." At her expression, he relented, "This is how I am, Mai. This is how I relate to people."

It suddenly became clear to her that for Naru this was a huge gesture—a leap of incredible faith framed as a scientific discussion. He was interested in her, wanted to be here, doing this, with _her_, and was willing to accommodate this into a life saturated with logic and objectivity.

Her heartbeat sped up as she finally pulled him towards her by his shirt, guiding his lips to hers as she gave in and stopped asking questions. The answers were suddenly clear.

It did not take long for the kissing to resume, and once it had, it did not take long for Mai to feel like she was out of breath again, the darkness around them lightening together with the contents of her head. With a sense of Naru wanting her on her side, she felt a tremendous happiness overtake her soul. She couldn't stop the elation as it bubbled forth into her kisses, her touches, as she grasped his hair and shoulders and brought him closer to her seeking lips. Naru, for his part, seemed far more cautious and paced, though his hands wandered to the skin bared by her shirt, and he occasionally dove into her mouth with new vigor when she moaned.

It wasn't long before their breathing hitched and Mai found Naru's long fingers grasping higher along her abdomen while his mouth found new occupation at her neck. While the speed of the encounter was certainly furious, Mai just couldn't bring herself to slow it down. Not when his palms were so much bigger than she imagined and felt like heaven when he grasped her…not when the small stubble of his beard sent delightful shivers down her spine as he moved his face against hers. Not when his mouth found hers again and he groaned—(Naru _groaning,_ she could die happy now)—into her throat when her own hands found the skin of his back. Everything was vivid and hypersensitive and the emotions he was making her feel made her want to shed her skin and be as close to him as possible.

"Mai," the young scientist said, his breath rough against her throat, "I don't expect this…" another breath, "…to change our working relationship."

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, back to kissing his mouth, wondering if the blush in her face would ever disappear. "Got it, boss."

She could feel him smile slightly against her mouth and Mai suddenly felt very powerful…until Naru gripped her hips and then all rational thought left her for a moment. She mirrored his actions and grinned when he hummed against her lips in pleasure. "This," she said between breaths, "is for our down time."

Naru's breath was hot against her skin, "Yes…starting tomorrow."

Mai laughed and blinked up at him, transfixed for a moment by his intense gaze. Their eyes locked for a heated moment and Mai watched as Naru, very intently and slowly, brought his mouth down…and kissed her forehead. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Naru," she swallowed, overwhelmed and dizzy and unable to stop, "I love you."

She watched his eyes flash before he closed them, breathing out from his nose, "You shouldn't."

Something in her stomach released and Mai realized that these words meant something very important to Naru. An admittance not to be made lightly. A regard and respect for her. She smiled softly, "You can't stop me, Naru."

There was another harsh breath before his blue eyes were on hers. She realized that she'd been stupid to think him unexpressive…those eyes held volumes of thought and consideration and _feeling_. "No," he agreed, "No I can't."

Face red at her own brashness and bravery, Mai bit her lip, "And it makes you…?"

Naru considered her for a moment, his breathing still labored from their kisses. She felt the pads of his thumbs brush over her cheeks as he held her face, sending currents of pleasure down her spine. His voice was low, "Humbled."

Mai parted her lips in wonder and Naru dove again, crashing his lips against hers with a passion he hadn't shown yet and all air seemed to escape the room. Mai saw stars. She knew she would never be the same again.

So when Naru's hands found her breasts through her bra, Mai couldn't bring herself to stop him, arching her back and releasing a hiss that made him push himself against her more firmly, sending a ball of electric heat to her abdomen. She panted and moved to kiss his neck, unable to get enough of him—the taste of firewood, and alcohol and spice filling her head.

It was when they were in this compromising position that the door of the cabin slammed open and icy blast of cold washed over them, together with a booming voice.

"—I SAID, ARE YOU GUYS IN HERE? WHAT THE HOLY—?"

Mai wretched her face away to see the looming figures of Bou-san and Lin in the doorway, standing there in the early dawn. She looked at Naru and realized their position, scrambling from underneath him to straighten her clothes, her face practically melting off her skull. Bou-san's face was slack with shock, his eyes trained on the scene while Lin, next to him, stood there awkwardly, averting his eyes to the ceiling.

"Bou-san! Lin-san!" Mai gulped, having gotten off the bed while a quiet Naru continued to sit, stoic as usual. _And not like he'd been groping me five seconds before._ "You…found us," she finished lamely.

The Monk's mouth seemed to be frozen as he continued to stare at them and so Lin stepped forward, giving a slight cough, "Yes, we started the search the instant it was getting lighter."

Naru was suddenly standing in front of them, not looking at Mai, "I assume you'd found shelter for the night?"

Lin nodded, "Actually very nearby—there are lot of cabins here, but the blizzard made them impossible to see."

Naru was pulling on his shoes and Mai was snapped out of her stupor, gathering her outdoor clothing and feeling her stomach churn uncomfortably. She was unsure what do to and felt a sense of fear at Naru's lack of direction or acknowledgment.

"Uh…what…?" Mai's head snapped up to Bou-san, who was attempting to form words again, "Are you guys—?"

Naru handed the camera bag to the Monk and pulled on his coat, "We've successfully solved the case. There is no more haunting here and we can pack up and leave immediately."

"Now, wait a minute—" But it wasn't Naru who interrupted the Monk this time. A composed and somber Mai was in front of the tall musician, touching his arm.

She couldn't bring herself to look anyone in the face, but spoke firmly, "We should go. It's been a long day."

Bou-san made as if to joke but seemed to catch Mai's sad face and the way Naru and Lin were already leaving the cabin without another glance back. The girl put on her hat and gloves and started following them, trying with all her might to keep herself from crying. _How could I have been so stupid? Of course, this is Naru…_

"Hey," the Monk said quietly from next to her as they walked into the cold outside. Mai shook her head and he said nothing further, but linked his arm through hers, holding firm.

Mai smiled slightly and tried to ignore the pangs in her gut, the squeezing in her chest at watching the two forms ahead of her getting farther and farther away, ready to pack up and leave the mountain. Despite how fervently she'd wished, only an hour before, that she could be home and alone, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd left a part of herself back in the dark of that cabin. And that he'd let her do it.

.

.

.

.

.

.

…

* * *

A/N: And of course this monster is turning into a super-monster, so I'm sorry at the delay in updating. I plan on one final part. Please leave me a review if you agree (or like or dislike this)! It means a lot.


End file.
